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Who are the Norns?




Due to the large and over lapping role of women in Norse Mythology this blog can turn into a small book very quickly. So, I will try and focus only on the three main Norns mentioned in the lore.

The Norn’s are three female divine beings, sometimes referred to as the goddesses of fate that dwell within the Well of Urd beneath the great tree Yggdrasil. The Norns shape the destinies of gods and men by weaving a web like tapestry (Web of Wyrd). Sometimes they also shape destinies by carving runes into the trunk of Yggdrasil.


The names of the three primary Norns are Urd “past”, Verdani “present” and Skuld “obligation”. The three Norns start the day by placing a rooster at the top of Yggdrasil. The bragging of this rooster is a wakeup call for all humans and gods. Another important duty of the Norns is to carry water from Urd’s well each morning and pour it over the roots of Yggdrasil. The healing power of the water heals and revitalizes the great tree.


There are many more beings that fall under the category of the norns. Defining them is difficult because there is no clear distinction in the lore between norns, fylgjas, hamingjas, valkyries, or the disir. This is due to the great artistic license permitted in Old Norse poetry. Another reference to the diversity of the norns can be found in the Gylfaginning. In this story Snorri Sturluson mentions that the norns, descended from the Aesir, dwarves, giants, and the elves. Also in a discussion between Sigurd and Fafnir from the Fafnismal, Fafnir tells Sigurd that the norns are many and come from several different races.


Ok, I have gotten off track already. So, I will end this blog with this. When a child is born a Norn visits that child on the day of its birth and starts to spin his or her fate. People speak of good Norns and Bad Norns but the lore speaks of personal Norns that have fallen asleep. Part of an individual’s personal journey is to wake up his or her Norn. Then the Norn can actively spin that person’s fate instead of it being spun willy-nilly.


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